Seventy-five books and 1,500 articles defined the prolific career of Paul Carus, an author who moved from Imperial Germany to the United States in 1884. Settling in Illinois, he spent his life bridging the gap between rigorous scientific inquiry and traditional religious belief through his work as an editor and publisher at the Open Court Publishing Company.
Academic Foundations and Migration
Born in 1852 in Ilsenburg, Carus pursued mathematics under Hermann Grassmann at the Stettin Gymnasium before completing his doctoral studies at the University of Tübingen in 1876. Following a period of military service and teaching, he departed Germany due to his liberal political views. He established a new life in Chicago and LaSalle, Illinois, where he married Mary Hegeler, an engineer and daughter of the industrialist Edward C. Hegeler.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →The Open Court Publishing Company
In 1887, Carus became the first managing editor of the Open Court Publishing Company. He utilized this platform to edit the periodicals The Open Court and The Monist, aiming to make philosophical classics affordable while facilitating discourse between science and religion. His tenure involved consistent correspondence with prominent figures of the era, including Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, and John Dewey, while also publishing the work of American pragmatist Charles Sanders Peirce.
The Religion of Science
Carus identified as an atheist who loved God, often labeling himself a theologian. He promoted a rationalist framework he termed the religion of science, which rejected dualistic divisions between mind and matter. Influenced by Benedictus de Spinoza, he advocated for a philosophy of Monism that viewed nature as a unified cosmic order. Following his attendance at the 1893 World's Parliament of Religions, he became a central figure in introducing Eastern traditions to the West, most notably through his work The Gospel of Buddha and his collaboration with Soyen Shaku and D. T. Suzuki.
Legacy and Death
Carus died in 1919 in LaSalle and was interred at Oakwood Cemetery. His professional contributions are remembered through the Carus Lectures at the American Philosophical Association and the Paul Carus Award for Interreligious Understanding. Following his passing, his editorial responsibilities were assumed by his wife, Mary, and their daughter, Elizabeth.
Fast facts
- Born: 1852, Ilsenburg
- Died: 1919, LaSalle
- Primary Occupation: Publisher and Philosopher
- Notable Work: The Gospel of Buddha
- Education: PhD from University of Tübingen, 1876
- Membership: German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
- Children: Edward, Gustave, Paula, Elisabeth, Herman, Alwin
- Burial Site: Oakwood Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What was Carus's view on religion?
He described himself as an atheist who loved God and sought to develop a 'religion of science' based on cosmic order rather than a personal deity.
How did he contribute to Western awareness of Buddhism?
He sponsored the translation work of D. T. Suzuki and published The Gospel of Buddha, which introduced many Western readers to Buddhist concepts.
Achievements
- Notable work: The Gospel of Buddha
- Held posts at Open Court Publishing Company
